EVEREST (1998)

Filmed in Utah, New Hampshire, Colorado, Baja
California and Nepal, Everest answers the question posed by the
magazine "Nineteenth Century" during the 1870s,
"Can Mount Everest Be Climbed?" In a brief historical
footnote, we learn that New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa
mountaineer Tenzing Norgay reached the summit May 29, 1953. Like
the breaking of the four-minute mile by an Australian runner
decades ago, this breakthrough led to several successful
expeditions between then and now, though the feat is hardly a
piece of cake. Though seven hundred people have reached the top,
one hundred fifty died trying.

"There are no fake stunts here, no Hollywood make
believe, no mythical heroes with fake Austrian accents. It's all
so spectacularly real, a shimmering, boldly executed and truly
awe-inspiring masterpiece of both cinematic depth and human
passion. Apart from the overpowering visual intensity of the
whole experience, Everest is also a poignant, affecting,
real-life human drama. Not only will audiences be mesmerised by
the Himalayas, blown away by the audacity of the climb, and
terrified by the mountainous disasters, they'll be moved to tears
by the indomitable strength of the human spirit. This is an
emotional rollercoaster that no mainstream film could ever hope
to topple, an overwhelming and exhilarating journey that isn't
easy to forget. From the remarkable camerawork, through to the
hauntingly evocative music and Liam Neeson's effective narration,
Everest is cinema at its best. Try not to miss one of the genuine
film events of the year."
Paul Fischer